Rhodanthemum plant named ‘USRHOD0701’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Rhodanthemum  plant named ‘USRHOD0701’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; no requirement for cool temperature treatment to initiate flowering; and daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray florets and brown-colored disc florets.

Botanical designation: Rhodanthemum hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘USRHOD0701’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rhodanthemum plant, botanically known as Rhodanthemum hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘USRHOD0701’.

The new Rhodanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early-flowering Rhodanthemum plants with compact plant habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Rhodanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on Feb. 10, 2005 of a proprietary selection of Rhodanthemum hybrida identified as code number 05RHOD05, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Rhodanthemum hybrida identified as code number 05RHOD02, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Rhodanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant with the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Bonsall, Calif. on Mar. 19, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the Rhodanthemum plant by vegetative cuttings in Bonsall, Calif. since Mar. 26, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Rhodanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Rhodanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘USRHOD0701’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘USRHOD0701’ as a new and distinct Rhodanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Does not require cool temperature treatment to initiate         flowering.     -   6. Daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray         florets and brown-colored disc florets.

Plants of the new Rhodanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum have larger inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Rhodanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum are faster growing than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum flower earlier than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Rhodanthemum can be compared to plants of Rhodanthemum ‘African Eyes’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bonsall, Calif., plants of the new Rhodanthemum differed from plants of ‘African Eyes’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of ‘African Eyes’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rhodanthemum had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘African Eyes’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Rhodanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Rhodanthemum plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘USRHOD0701’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘USRHOD0701’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial Rhodanthemum production conditions during the spring in 15.25-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 29° C., night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 16° C. and light levels ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time and were eleven weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rhodanthemum hybrida ‘USRHOD0701’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Rhodanthemum hybrida             identified as code number 05RHOD05, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Rhodanthemum hybrida             identified as code number 05RHOD02, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 35 days at             temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 25 days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; tan in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium in             density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit; inverted             triangle; freely branching habit with about twelve primary             lateral branches each primary lateral branch with several             secondary lateral branches, pinching enhances lateral branch             development; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 22 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 1.2 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent, lanulose;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 190A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly lanceolate, deeply dissected.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate, clasping.         -   Margin.—Deeply dissected with seven to nine lobes.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, lanulose;             succulent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             189A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A;             venation, close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to N137A; venation, close to N137A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, lanulose. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to             N137A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence arrangement, form and habit.—Rotate daisy-type             composite inflorescences; inflorescences terminal; freely             flowering habit with about 26 inflorescences developing per             plant; inflorescences held above the foliar plane on strong             and upright peduncles; inflorescences face upright.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants do             not require a cool treatment for inflorescence initiation;             plants begin flowering about eleven weeks after planting; in             the garden, plants flower from the spring until the autumn             in Southern California.         -   Inflorescence longevity on the plant.—Inflorescences             typically last about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1.6 cm. Shape: Spherical. Color: Close to N87D.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 2 cm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 9 mm.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 191A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Broadly ligulate. Apex: Emarginate.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Initially upright             to nearly horizontal with development. Length: About 1.5 cm.             Width: About 7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Quantity per             inflorescence: About 28 arranged in 2 to 2.5 whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 84C; towards the base,             close to NN155D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 84B             to 84C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 84B; color             fading to N155C with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to NN155D with longitudinal streaks of close             to 77C; color fading to NN155D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, narrow, fused. Apex: Acute,             five-pointed. Base: Fused into a narrow tube. Margin:             Entire. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Quantity per             inflorescence: About 360. Color, immature and mature: Apex:             Close to 200B. Mid-section: Close to 195C. Base: Close to             195D.         -   Involucral bracts (phyllaries).—Quantity per inflorescence:             About 56 arranged in about three imbricate whorls. Length:             About 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptical.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A; towards the             margins, close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 191A             to 191B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright to curving upwards. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 191B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: (present on disc florets             only). Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             3.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther shape:             Elongated oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             Close to 199D. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 1A. Gynoecium: (present on both ray and disc             florets). Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About             8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 200B.             Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary             color: Close to 145C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Rhodanthemum have not     been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Rhodanthemum.     -   -   Garden performance.—Plants of the new Rhodanthemum have been             observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate             temperatures from about −9° C. to about 43° C. 

1. A new and distinct Rhodanthemum plant named ‘USRHOD0701’ as illustrated and described. 